At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce.
In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
No Cristen man so ofte of his degree. 55
In Gernade at the sege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,
[3: T. 59-92.]
Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
At many a noble aryve hadde he be. 60
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for our feith at Tramissene
In listes thryes, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knight had been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye, 65
Ageyn another hethen in Turkye:
And evermore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
He never yet no vileinye ne sayde 70
In al his lyf, un-to no maner wight.
He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
But for to tellen yow of his array,
His hors were gode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gipoun 75
Al bismotered with his habergeoun;
For he was late y-come from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.
53. E. nacions. 56. E. seege. 60. Hl. ariue; Cm. aryue; E. Hn.
armee; Cp. Ln. arme. 62. E. oure. 64. Pt. had; _rest_ hadde. 67.
E. -moore. 68. E. Hn. Cm. were; _rest_ was. 74. E. Pt. weren; Hl.
Ln. was; _rest_ were. Hl. Hn. he ne was.
With him ther was his sone, a yong SQUYER, =SQUYER.=
A lovyere, and a lusty bacheler, 80
With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe.
And he had been somtyme in chivachye, 85
In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardye,
And born him wel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrouded was he, as it were a mede
Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and rede. 90
Singinge he was, or floytinge, al the day;
He was as fresh as is the month of May.
[4: T. 93-127.]
Short was his goune, with sleves longe and wyde.
Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
He coude songes make and wel endyte, 95
Iuste and eek daunce, and wel purtreye and wryte,
So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
He sleep namore than dooth a nightingale.
Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable,
And carf biforn his fader at the table. 100
83. Ln. euen; _rest_ euene. 84. Hl. Ln. delyuer; _rest_ delyuere.
E. Hn. of greet; Cm. of gret; _rest_ gret of. 85. Ln. had. 87. E.
weel. 89, 90. E. meede, reede. 92. E. fressh. E. in; _rest_ is.
E. Hn. Monthe; Cp. month; Hl. Pt. Ln. moneth; Cm. monyth. 96. E.
weel. 98. Hl. Cp. sleep; _rest_ slepte. E. -moore. 99. Hl. Cp.
Ln. lowly; E. Hn. Pt. lowely.
A YEMAN hadde he, and servaunts namo =Yeman.=
At that tyme, for him liste ryde so;
And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
A sheef of pecok-arwes brighte and kene
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily; 105
(Wel coude he dresse his takel yemanly:
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe),
And in his hand he bar a mighty bowe.
A not-heed hadde he, with a broun visage.
Of wode-craft wel coude he al the usage. 110
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
And on that other syde a gay daggere,
Harneised wel, and sharp as point of spere;
A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene. 115
An horn he bar, the bawdrik was of grene;
A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
101. E. seruantz. 102. E. soo. 104. Hl. Cp. Pt. Ln. pocok. Cm.
bryghte; _rest_ bright. 107. E. Hise. 108, 111. E. baar. 113. E.
oother. 115. Hn. Cristofre; E. Cristophere. E. sheene.
Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE, =Prioresse.=
That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy;
Hir gretteste ooth was but by sëynt Loy; 120
And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.
Ful wel she song the service divyne,
Entuned in hir nose ful semely;
And Frensh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, 125
For Frensh of Paris was to hir unknowe.
At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle;
[5: T. 128-161.]
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
Ne wette hir fingres in hir sauce depe.
Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe, 130
That no drope ne fille up-on hir brest.
In curteisye was set ful muche hir lest.
Hir over lippe wyped she so clene,
That in hir coppe was no ferthing sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte. 135
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,
And sikerly she was of greet disport,
And ful plesaunt, and amiable of port,
And peyned hir to countrefete chere
Of court, and been estatlich of manere, 140
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But, for to speken of hir conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous,
She wolde wepe, if that she sawe a mous
Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. 145
Of smale houndes had she, that she fedde
With rosted flesh, or milk and wastel-breed.
But sore weep she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte:
And al was conscience and tendre herte. 150
Ful semely hir wimpel pinched was;
Hir nose tretys; hir eyen greye as glas;
Hir mouth ful smal, and ther-to softe and reed;
But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;
It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe; 155
For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
Ful fetis was hir cloke, as I was war.
Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar
A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene;
And ther-on heng a broche of gold ful shene, 160
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
[6: T. 162-195.]
And after, _Amor vincit omnia._
122. E. soong. 123. E. semeely. 131. Cm. brest; E. Hn. brist.
132. Cp. moche; Cm. meche; E. Hn. muchel. Hl. lest; E. Hn. Cm.
list. 134. Hl. was; _rest_ ther was. 137. E. Hn. desport; _rest_
disport. 140. E. to been; Hl. Hn. _omit_ to. 144. Hl. Hn. Cp. Ln.
sawe; E. saugh; Cm. seye. 146. Pt. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde. 148. Ln.
wepped; _rest_ wepte; _read_ weep; _cf_. l. 2878. E. any; _rest_ oon,
on, one. 151. E. semyly. E. wympul; Hn. wympel. 160. E. Hn. brooch;
_rest_ broche.
Another NONNE with hir hadde she, =Nonne.=
That was hir chapeleyne, and PREESTES three. =3 Preestes.=
A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrye, =Monk.=
An out-rydere, that lovede venerye; 166
A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable:
And, whan he rood, men mighte his brydel here
Ginglen in a whistling wind as clere, 170
And eek as loude as dooth the chapel-belle,
Ther as this lord was keper of the celle.
The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit,
By-cause that it was old and som-del streit,
This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace, 175
And held after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
That seith, that hunters been nat holy men;
Ne that a monk, whan he is cloisterlees,
Is lykned til a fish that is waterlees; 180
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre.
But thilke text held he nat worth an oistre;
And I seyde, his opinioun was good.
What sholde he studie, and make him-selven wood,
Upon a book in cloistre alwey to poure, 185
Or swinken with his handes, and laboure,
As Austin bit? How shal the world be served?
Lat Austin have his swink to him reserved.
Therfore he was a pricasour aright;
Grehoundes he hadde, as swifte as fowel in flight; 190
Of priking and of hunting for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
And, for to festne his hood under his chin, 195
[7: T. 196-231.]
He hadde of gold y-wroght a curious pin:
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face, as he had been anoint.
He was a lord ful fat and in good point; 200
His eyen stepe, and rollinge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
His botes souple, his hors in greet estat.
Now certeinly he was a fair prelat;
He was nat pale as a for-pyned goost. 205
A fat swan loved he best of any roost.
His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.
170. Hl. Cp. whistlyng; E. whistlynge. E. Cm. als; Ln. al-so; Hl. so;
_rest_ as. 176. E. Hn. heeld; Cm. held. 178. Hn. Hl. been; E.
beth. 179. Hl. cloysterles; E. Hn. recchelees; Cp. Pt. Ln. recheles;
Cm. rekeles (Ten Brink _proposes_ recetlees). 182. E. Hn. heeld; Cm.
held. 188. E. his owene; _rest om._ owene. 190. Hl. swifte; _rest_
swift. 193. Hl. Hn. purfiled; Cm. purfilid; E. ypurfiled. 196. Hl.
a; _rest_ a ful. 196, 218. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde. 199. E. it;
_rest_ he. 203, 4. E. estaat, prelaat.
A FRERE ther was, a wantown and a merye, =Frere.=
A limitour, a ful solempne man.
In alle the ordres foure is noon that can 210
So muche of daliaunce and fair langage.
He hadde maad ful many a mariage
Of yonge wommen, at his owne cost.
Un-to his ordre he was a noble post.
Ful wel biloved and famulier was he 215
With frankeleyns over-al in his contree,
And eek with worthy wommen of the toun:
For he had power of confessioun,
As seyde him-self, more than a curat,
For of his ordre he was licentiat. 220
Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
And plesaunt was his absolucioun;
He was an esy man to yeve penaunce
Ther as he wiste to han a good pitaunce;
For unto a povre ordre for to yive 225
Is signe that a man is wel y-shrive.
For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,
He wiste that a man was repentaunt.
For many a man so hard is of his herte,
He may nat wepe al-thogh him sore smerte. 230
Therfore, in stede of weping and preyeres,
[8: T. 232-265.]
Men moot yeve silver to the povre freres.
His tipet was ay farsed ful of knyves
And pinnes, for to yeven faire wyves.
And certeinly he hadde a mery note; 235
Wel coude he singe and pleyen on a rote.
Of yeddinges he bar utterly the prys.
His nekke whyt was as the flour-de-lys;
Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.
He knew the tavernes wel in every toun, 240
And everich hostiler and tappestere
Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;
For un-to swich a worthy man as he
Acorded nat, as by his facultee,
To have with seke lazars aqueyntaunce. 245
It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce
For to delen with no swich poraille,
But al with riche and sellers of vitaille.
And over-al, ther as profit sholde aryse,
Curteys he was, and lowly of servyse. 250
Ther nas no man no-wher so vertuous.
He was the beste beggere in his hous;
[And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt; 252 b
Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his haunt;] 252 c
For thogh a widwe hadde noght a sho,
So plesaunt was his “_In principio_,”
Yet wolde he have a ferthing, er he wente. 255
His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.
And rage he coude, as it were right a whelpe.
In love-dayes ther coude he muchel helpe. (260)
For there he was nat lyk a cloisterer,
With a thredbar cope, as is a povre scoler, 260
But he was lyk a maister or a pope.
Of double worsted was his semi-cope,
That rounded as a belle out of the presse.
[9: T. 266-300.]
Somwhat he lipsed, for his wantownesse,
To make his English swete up-on his tonge; 265
And in his harping, whan that he had songe,
His eyen twinkled in his heed aright,
As doon the sterres in the frosty night. (270)
This worthy limitour was cleped Huberd.
208. E. wantowne. 211. Hn. muche; E. muchel. 213. Hl. owne; E.
owene. 215. E. And; _rest_ Ful. 217. Hl. Hn. eek; _rest omit_.
224. Hl. Cm. han; E. haue. 229. E. harde. 231. E. wepynge. 232.
E. Hn. moote; _see note_. 234. E. yonge; _rest_ faire. 235. Hl.
mery; E. murye. 237. E. baar. Pt. vttirly; Hl. vtturly; E. Hn.
outrely. 240. E. al the; _rest_ euery. 245. E. Hn. Cm. sike; Pt.
Ln. seke; see l. 18. 246. Cm. honest; E. honeste. 248. E.
selleres. 250. E. lowely. _After_ l. 252, Hn. _alone inserts_ ll. 252
_b_ and 252 _c_. 259. Hl. Cm. cloysterer; E. Hn. Cloystrer. 260. _So
all the_ MSS. (_but with_ -bare); _cf_. l. 290. 262. _All_ worstede
(_badly_). 266. Pt. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde.
A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, =Marchant.=
In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, 271
Up-on his heed a Flaundrish bever hat;
His botes clasped faire and fetisly.
His resons he spak ful solempnely,
Souninge alway thencrees of his winning. 275
He wolde the see were kept for any thing
Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
Wel coude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle. (280)
This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;
Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette, 280
So estatly was he of his governaunce,
With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce.
For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle,
But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle.
271. Ln. motteley; Hl. motteleye; E. Hn. motlee. 272. E. beu_er_e.
273. Cp. Pt. clapsed; Hl. clapsud. 274. E. Hise. 281. Cp. statly.
A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also, =Clerk.=
That un-to logik hadde longe y-go. 286
As lene was his hors as is a rake,
And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; (290)
But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly.
Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; 290
For he had geten him yet no benefyce,
Ne was so worldly for to have offyce.
For him was lever have at his beddes heed
Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed,
Of Aristotle and his philosophye, 295
Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrye.
But al be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre; (300)
[10: T. 301-336.]
But al that he mighte of his freendes hente,
On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, 300
And bisily gan for the soules preye
Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye.
Of studie took he most cure and most hede.
Noght o word spak he more than was nede,
And that was seyd in forme and reverence, 305
And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence.
Souninge in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. (310)
287. E. And; Hl. Al so; _rest_ As. 289. E. Hn. sobrely; _rest_
soburly. 290. _All_ -bare. Hl. ouerest; E. Hn. Cm. ouereste. 291.
Cp. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde. 293. Cp. Ln. Hl. leuer; _rest_ leuere.
300. E. Hl. his; _rest_ on.
A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys, =Man of Lawe.=
That often hadde been at the parvys, 310
Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.
Discreet he was, and of greet reverence:
He semed swich, his wordes weren so wyse.
Iustyce he was ful often in assyse,
By patente, and by pleyn commissioun; 315
For his science, and for his heigh renoun
Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.
So greet a purchasour was no-wher noon. (320)
Al was fee simple to him in effect,
His purchasing mighte nat been infect. 320
No-wher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet he semed bisier than he was.
In termes hadde he caas and domes alle,
That from the tyme of king William were falle.
Therto he coude endyte, and make a thing, 325
Ther coude no wight pinche at his wryting;
And every statut coude he pleyn by rote.
He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote (330)
Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;
Of his array telle I no lenger tale.
324. E. yfalle; _rest_ falle. 326. E. Hn. pynchen; _rest_ pynche,
pinche.
A FRANKELEYN was in his companye; =Frankeleyn.=
Whyt was his berd, as is the dayesye.
Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn.
[11: T. 337-370.]
To liven in delyt was ever his wone, 335
For he was Epicurus owne sone,
That heeld opinioun, that pleyn delyt
Was verraily felicitee parfyt.
An housholdere, and that a greet, was he; (340)
Seint Iulian he was in his contree.
His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon;
A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon.
With-oute bake mete was never his hous,
Of fish and flesh, and that so plentevous,
It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke, 345
Of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.
After the sondry sesons of the yeer,
So chaunged he his mete and his soper. (350)
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe,
And many a breem and many a luce in stewe. 350
Wo was his cook, but-if his sauce were
Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere.
His table dormant in his halle alway
Stood redy covered al the longe day.
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire; 355
Ful ofte tyme he was knight of the shire.
An anlas and a gipser al of silk
Heng at his girdel, whyt as morne milk. (360)
A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour;
Was no-wher such a worthy vavasour. 360
332. E. heed; _ rest_ berd, berde. E. a; _rest_ the. 335. ever] Hl.
al. 336. E. Hn. Cm. owene; _rest_ owne. 338. Hl. verraily; _rest_
verray, verrey, uery. 340. E. was he; _rest_ he was. 341. Cm. Ln.
alwey; Hl. alway; E. Hn. Cp. alweys. 342. Hl. Pt. nowher; Cm. nower:
_rest_ neuere; _cf_. l. 360. 349, 350. E. Hn. muwe, stuwe. 357. E.
Hn. anlaas; Hl. Cm. anlas. 358. E. Hn. heeng. 359. E. Hn. Cm. _om._
a.
An HABERDASSHER and a CARPENTER, =Habaerdassher.=
A WEBBE, a DYERE, and a TAPICER, =Carpenter.=
Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, =Webbe. Dyere.=
Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. =Tapicer.=
Ful fresh and newe hir gere apyked was; 365
Hir knyves were y-chaped noght with bras,
But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel,
Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. (370)
[12: T. 371-406.]
Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys,
To sitten in a yeldhalle on a deys. 370
Everich, for the wisdom that he can,
Was shaply for to been an alderman.
For catel hadde they y-nogh and rente,
And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;
And elles certein were they to blame. 375
It is ful fair to been y-clept “_ma dame_,”
And goon to vigilyës al bifore,
And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. (380)
363. _So_ Hl.; _rest_ And they were clothed alle. 364. _All but_ Hl.
and a. 366. Hl. I-chapud; Cm. chapid; _rest_ chaped. 370. E.
yeldehalle. 376. E. Hn. ycleped; Hl. clept; _rest_ cleped, clepid.
380. Hl. _om. 1st_ the.
A COOK they hadde with hem for the nones, =Cook.=
To boille the chiknes with the mary-bones, 380
And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale.
Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale.
He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,
Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.
But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me, 385
That on his shine a mormal hadde he;
For blankmanger, that made he with the beste. (389)
383. E. Hl. boille; Cm. boyle; _rest_ broille, broile. 388. E.
wonynge; Hn. wonyng.
A SHIPMAN was ther, woning fer by weste: =Shipman.=
For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.
He rood up-on a rouncy, as he couthe, 390
In a gowne of falding to the knee.
A daggere hanging on a laas hadde he
Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.
The hote somer had maad his hewe al broun;
And, certeinly, he was a good felawe. 395
Ful many a draughte of wyn had he y-drawe
From Burdeux-ward, whyl that the chapman sleep.
Of nyce conscience took he no keep. (400)
If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,
By water he sente hem hoom to every lond. 400
But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,
His stremes and his daungers him bisydes,
His herberwe and his mone, his lodemenage,
Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.
[13: T. 407-441.]
Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; 405
With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.
He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were,
From Gootlond to the cape of Finistere, (410)
And every cryke in Britayne and in Spayne;
His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne. 410